


my name is steve

by starksnack



Series: Happy Steve Bingo 2019 [4]
Category: Marvel
Genre: Bucky Barnes Returns, Happy Steve Bingo, Insecure Tony Stark, Jealousy, M/M, Nicknames, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21679813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starksnack/pseuds/starksnack
Summary: Tony wrongly assumes that Steve likes Bucky.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Happy Steve Bingo 2019 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1562038
Comments: 5
Kudos: 230
Collections: Happy Steve Bingo 2019





	my name is steve

**Author's Note:**

> No beta cause we die like men.

It happens after Steve finds Bucky and invites him back to the tower with him.

Everything was going perfectly fine. Well, as fine as they could be when Tony wasn’t meeting his eyes, but Steve had strode into the living room with Bucky in tow, intending to introduce him to the team.

“Hey guys, this is Bucky, Bucky this is the team.”

Natasha, who was sitting on the couch with Clint trying to kick his ass at Mario Kart only nodded at him before, with unexplainable flexibility, she lifted her foot to try and kick the archer in the side of the head.

“Hey Bucky,” Clint called cheerfully, catching Natasha’s foot with his shoulder as he blue-shelled her in the game. Russian cursing followed as Clint whooped in victory. Setting down the controller, Clint turned to address Bucky fully, standing and offering his hand. “You’re exactly what we need, another moody brunet.”

There was a whine from the kitchen where Tony was slumped over the coffeemaker and Steve paused, taking in his exhausted form. Maybe Steve should take him to bed. His cheeks burned as his hindbrain caught on the thought. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he turned back to where Bucky was shaking Clint’s hand, taking the joke in stride.

Steve walked backward to the kitchen explaining the whereabouts of the rest of the team as he went. “Thor is in Europe with Bruce right now. They’re trying to learn more about some kind of convergence, but we’re not entirely sure. This is Tony, he’s Howard’s son.”

He knew it was the wrong thing to say the moment it was out of his mouth, watching as both Tony and Bucky tensed at the name. Tony’s knuckles were white around his blue mug and when he turned to Steve, his smile was plastic, stretched too thin. Steve immediately recognized it as the one he used with the press. He hated that he was the cause of it and it was being directed at him.

Steve got a good look at him then. At the dark purple bags bruised underneath his eyes like war paint, his expression heavy with discomfort as he all but glared at Steve. “Hi Barnes, it’s nice to meet you.” He didn’t accept Bucky’s hand for a shake, instead jerking his thumb over his shoulder, taking a step back. “I gotta get back to my workshop. Got an important experiment running.” 

“Speaking of your workshop,” Steve cut in before Tony could go scurrying back to his cocoon of work, “could you take a look at Bucky’s arm? It’s been hurting him.”

“Yeah sure”, Tony sighs, his eyes already glazing over as he looks at Bucky and then his arm. “Send him down in an hour and I’ll fix it up for him.”

Steve nods gratefully, smiling widely at the genius. “Thanks, Tony.”

“No problem Cap.”

And since then, Tony hasn’t called him by his first name. Not that he’s seen Tony all that much since that encounter but according to Bucky who has seen him every day this last week, much to Steve’s dismay, Tony is doing well.

Finally, Steve has had enough. The handful of times he had seen Tony had been stilted and awkward, Tony refusing to meet his eyes or call him by his first name. Apologies were in order because the last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt Tony. Or their team dynamic. But mostly Tony because Steve maybe liked him a little bit more than a best friend.

“There are better ways to lose sleep, handsome,” Bucky is grinning teasingly when Steve puts in his passcode pulling the workshop door open. Steve resists the urge to groan at Bucky’s ridiculous pick-up line. He almost forgot how horrible of a flirt his best friend is.

He’s about to cut in to say something. Maybe announce his presence to the two brunets who are immersed in conversation. Instead Tony catches him off guard, with the next words out of his mouth.

“Oh my Bucky, are you offerring?”

His mouth is quirked up in the most adorable way, brown eyes wide and excited. Jealousy swirls in Steve’s chest as he watches Tony openly flirt back, something he hasn’t done with Steve since before Bucky showed up despite Steve’s pathetic attempts to initiate.

“Can I talk to you?” Steve cuts in before Bucky can respond, his cheeks heating in embarrassment as both brunets turn to him with matching expressions of confusion. Tony looks startled, eyes wide as he takes in Steve for the first time. Bucky, who had probably noticed Steve when he walked in thanks to his training only cocks a confused brow at him. “Sorry to interrupt,” he amends sheepishly. “I would just like to speak to Tony for a quick moment.”

“I’ll catch you later,” Bucky says giving Tony a fist bump with his metal arm before brushing by Steve with a meaningful look on his way out.

“What’s up, Cap?” Tony asks, already turning back to his workbench and grabbing a wrench off it.

And Steve snaps at the use of the nickname, frustration beginning like a tidal wave in his belly and spilling out of his mouth like a tsunami. “Why don’t you ever call me Steve anymore?”

Steve doesn’t realize he had yelled until the silence that follows his outburst, Tony’s shoulders tense as he freezes where he is, wrench halfway to his project in front of him. And Steve hates himself all the more for it. Hates that he’s somehow created this tension between them.

“Tony, I’m so sorry.” Steve falls backward, sitting down hard on the couch Tony keeps in his workshops for power naps and whenever Steve drops by, which hasn’t happened in a while because he’d been so preoccupied with Bucky.

“It’s okay,” Tony’s voice is barely a whisper and he sets his wrench down with a clatter before slumping onto his workbench, spine curving as he hunches over to make himself appear smaller. He still won’t turn around, won’t meet Steve’s eyes and it kills him. “It’s okay, Steve.”

Sighing, Steve stands up again, crossing the workshop to take a tentative seat on the bench beside Tony. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around and I’m sorry I introduced you as Howard’s son. You’re so much more than that, you have to believe me Tony.”

The genius only nods and Steve feels like the scum of the earth for doing this to them.

“I love you,” Tony blurts out before clapping his hand over his mouth, eyes wide.

Scrambling up from the bench, Tony tries to escape before Steve grabs on to his arm, preventing him from leaving. “Don’t go.”

And then the babbling starts, Tony’s eye’s frantically looking everywhere but Steve’s face. His words are barely making sense through his hyperventilating, wild gesticulating punctuating his sentences. Steve doesn’t even hear what he’s saying though he can guess that it’s a million apologies. Gathering Tony into his arms, he presses a kiss to the genius’ lips, effectively silencing him.

“I love you too.”

Tony gasps as if the revelation is shocking. As if Steve doesn’t spend most of his day by Tony’s side. As if he doesn’t seek the genius out like a flower yearns for the sun. Like Steve doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve.

Lower lip trembling, Tony finally meets his eyes, brown eyes beautifully open with raw want, pupils dilated as he opens and closes his mouth like a gaping fish. “ But you and Bucky?”

Steve’s nose screws up at the thought of him and Bucky. “Ew no, that would be like kissing my brother. You, on the other hand, I would very much like to kiss. Like right now.”

So they do. It’s everything Steve ever wanted.

**Author's Note:**

> Come chat with me on [tumblr](https://starksnack.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://www.twitter.com/starksnack/).


End file.
